The present invention relates in general to musical instruments and more particularly to a trumpet or brass instrument which employs apparatus for synthesizing sound.
The field of synthesizers for musical instruments is quite extensive and such devices have been employed with a wide variety of musical instruments and especially such devices as organs and pianos. The primary function of a synthesizer in a musical instrument is to control the frequency of the sound in a predetermined manner.
It is known that a musical instrument such as a trumpet which is a brass instrument, can provide sounds within the frequency range of about 250 Hz to about 700 Hz. In fact, the frequency distribution and peak power of such instruments have been documented in various textbooks. A textbook entitled RADIO ENGINEERING HANDBOOK by Henney (5the Edition) McGraw-Hill Co. in Chapter 11 contains various charts and tables indicating the frequency range of various instruments used in an orchestra. With the advent of modern music plus the use of electronics in regard to music, it is extremely desirable to employ a synthesizer capability in the use of wind instruments.
Various attempts have been implemented in the prior art to employ a synthesizer with a wind instrument. Hence, U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,419 issued on Feb. 17, 1976 to DeRosa shows a synthesizer which functions in conjunction with a trumpet. Essentially, the opening and closing of the valves of the instrument activates a series of switches which are coupled to the valves and allow one to control the frequency of an oscillator according to the particular valves depressed. This unit is extremely limited in operation and requires a substantial modification of the trumpet.
Other units as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,429,976 attempt to control sound by employing a threshold circuit in conjunction with the mouthpiece of the instrument to attempt to produce various sounds by generating control signals for an external synthesizer. The problem with such prior art devices is that they do not truly provide a widespread band of frequencies and they are difficult to implement and control.
A major aspect of a synthesizer is the ability to allow the musician to control the unit according to his preferences and skills. The controls must be such that they can be easily operated by the musician while he is further playing the instrument in the ordinary and typical manner. In regard to such an instrument, it is desirable to vary the notes emnating from the trumpet through several octaves and to do so in a completely reliable and efficient manner. In this way, the trumpet can be played in a conventional mode, while the full effects of a synthesized signal can be provided strictly under the control of the player.